Fort Cumberland Pumping Station in Eastney site manager Steve Fastnedge next to the canester pumps''Picture: Sarah Standing (143323-8220)

But officials are now saying this should become a thing of the past.

Stormwater from sewers can still be legally released following heavy rain, but it should always be screened from now on.

New screens have been put in and the way sewage flows through the system has been changed to minimise the chances of any unsightly items ever getting into the sea. The pumps and electrical equipment at Eastney have also been refurbished.

‘I look forward to a future where the beaches remain free of sewage litter. Let’s hope it works.’

Paul Kent, Southern Water’s wastewater strategy manager, said: ‘We have already seen significant improvements from the investment at Fort Cumberland with only one release of stormwater from the site in the last five months.

‘This one release was during heavy rain and saw the site preventing wastewater backing up in the network that could have caused sewer flooding of homes and businesses.

‘This also links to the success of Portsmouth flood alleviation scheme – completed last autumn – where up to 6,400 litres per second of rainwater is diverted away from the sewer network and straight into the sea.’